A headline reading “Muslim Business Club” popped up on our Particls news ticker. Of course, we jumped over to their site to find out what they had to offer. After a quick registration and profile set up, we browsed the features available. Being a social business network, we decided to perform a simple test. We will wait and see how long it will take to make contacts. Well, we didn’t have to wait long. Soon, we were contacted by Farrukh Naeem, an award winning copywriter and journalist, a brother from Kosovo seeking advice and a request to develop a website for new project to help former drug users with rehab, detox, job hunting and housing. Since then, we have also received requests to connect with a project leader for a job search site for Muslims and a business leader in the leather industry. Old friends soon joined and connected with us. For a new networking tool, we have been very impressed. In less than 2 months, they had 1200 members and they plan to re-design their site to prominently feature members’ blogs. During our review process, we contacted Muslim Business Club founders, Rias A. Sherzad and Farid Zazai, to talk about their new project.
Farid and Rias shared with us more details about Muslim Business Club, it’s features and objectives in this exclusive, inaugural interview.
IslamCrunch: What is your web application/service about?
Muslim Business Club: Muslim Business Club is a social business network where people can sign up, create a profile of their skills, and specify what they’re looking for and what they have to offer. They may also upload their picture and find other members with similar skills or business interests and add them to their list of contacts.
Additionally, and that’s probably one of the most interesting, useful and fun features of the Muslim Business Club, they may browse through the list of our members and see how they’re connected to them. Imagine yourself looking at a profile from someone from Malaysia that knows your colleague from Dubai. We’re visualising such connections and showing our members through whom they are connected to a certain person. Having a common acquaintance often makes it easier to get in touch with someone from the other side of the world. All you need to do then is ask your colleague to introduce you to him.
Of course we also have more features such as a marketplace, a weblog for each member, discussion groups etc.
IslamCrunch: Why did you start this project?
Muslim Business Club: Firstly, we think that the knowledge we, the founders of the Muslim Business Club, have gained here in the West enables and obliges us to help create better understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. We think that business brings Muslims and non-Muslims together and there’s a lot we can contribute to it as we know both sides. We feel it is time to act in a positive way and show the world, that the Muslim world consists of more than just the images they see on TV. Secondly, today’s business moves fast and finding the right business partner is expensive. We believe that the Muslim Business Club will, insha’Allah, save people millions of dollars around the world when it comes to their business. Thirdly, we’re planning on creating a win-win situation for our members by helping them find business partners around the world through our platform and premium services customised to cater to their business needs.
Muslims have a unique business tradition and there are certain expectations that need to be addressed that no other network addresses, especially in regard to our female members. To give you an example: how do we make sure Muslim sisters find their way into the Muslim Business Club? Many of them are running their own businesses, either from home or from their family office but due to cultural or religious reasons, a high percentage refrains from getting involved in online business activities. We’re working on a couple of ideas to Read the rest of this entry »
